Dragon Fist part 6

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This chapter explains the cosmology of Tianguo and details many of its most popular gods. Of

course, you can’t have the good without the bad, so the villains also get their due. You’ll find

NPC kits for some of the more common bad guys, as well as stats for the emperor himself and a

number of his key lieutenants. And no fantasy game would be complete without a stable of nasty monsters, so the chapter is rounded out with a fine selection of inhuman opponents for the PCs.

The Creation of the Universe According to the shamans, the universe came into being when the two cosmic forces of yin

and yang came together out of chaos. From these two opposing forces rose the Five Elements,

and these agents created the Ten Thousand Things. The realm of yang became known as

Heaven, and realm of yin, Earth. Beneath the Earth there was Hell, which for this reason is

also known as the Earth-prison.

Heaven and EarthThe ruler of Heaven is the Jade Emperor, who is also known as the Lord-on-High and the Lordof Heaven. The Jade Emperor presides over a Heavenly Court, which is mirrored by the earthly

court of Tianguo. He rules over an assemblage of gods and spirits, and is served by ministers

and generals. His most important servants are the Dukes of the Five Elements, each of whom

controls a ministry based on his element (so, for example, the Duke of Wood controls the

Ministry of Wood). Other ministries are within the purview of the different elements. War, for

instance, is under the Ministry of Metal, while Flood Control is under the Ministry of Water.

Each ministry is served by a number of lesser gods and countless spirits.

Some of the Jade Emperor’s vassal gods live on Earth. The most important of these is the

Stove God (also known as the Kitchen God). The Stove God watches over mortal households

throughout the year and ascends to Heaven on the New Year to give a report to the Jade

Emperor on the people’s activities. Also important are the City Gods. These are usually deified

mortals who are in charge of protecting particular cities. They are served in turn by the EarthGods, who protect the local citizens from wandering ghosts and other dangers.

In addition to gods and mortals, Earth is also home to many spirits. Many of these are

Nature spirits, and represent such things as mountains, springs, and rivers. Others are ances-

tors, or other spirits of the dead.

Lastly, there are the dragons, who are found in Heaven and Earth. For the most part,

dragons are just and benevolent, widely hailed as bringers of luck and good fortune. The

Heavenly Dragons pull the chariots of the gods and help defend the Jade Emperor; the Spirit

Dragons live in the sky and cause the rain to fall; and the Dragon Kings rule the seas and

other bodies of water. The only truly malevolent members of the species are the hoard drag-

ons, who greedily guard their treasure and usually live alone in forsaken places.

Hell Hell is under the Earth, and it is the place where po souls go for judgement and punishment

after death. Since the birth of the universe, Hell had been ruled by Zhongwen. The King of

Hell is served by ten demonic magistrates, whose job is to judge the dead and who rule the

courts of Hell. The rest of Hell is given over to the torment of the condemned.

The corruption of the fourth emperor had an enormous effect on Hell. Musheng, the

demon lord who gave Jianmin the tainted lotus, was able to steal the power of the hun souls,

using it to overthrow Zhongwen and proclaim himself the King of Hell. Most of the demons

followed his lead, but some remained loyal to Zhongwen. The two factions have been at war

for decades now, but the Jade Emperor has not stepped in.

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G O D

S & M

O N S T E R S



The Fate of the Soul Human beings in Tianguo are born with two souls. The upper soul, or hun, comes from

Heaven itself. It is the divine spark that provides the animating force. The lower soul, or po,

comes from Earth and represents human nature. It is the personality and consciousness, andalso the animal and the instinct.

When a human dies, the souls part ways. The hun ascends back to Heaven, where the

Jade Emperor absorbs it. The po descends to Hell, the Earth-prison. Since the po is the person-

ality, it is this soul that is judged by its deeds during life. When the soul arrives in Hell, it is

brought before a demonic magistrate who passes judgement. The po can meet any of several

fates, including but not limited to the following.

• The soul is sentenced to serve time in Hell for shortcomings during life. After the sen-

tence is carried out, it either is reborn on Earth or becomes a demon.

• The soul is rewarded for its good deeds during life by becoming a spirit. Some become

the guardians of particular places, others are sent to serve the City Gods, and yet others

return to guide their descendents.

• A very few souls are deified upon death. They either ascend to Heaven to serve the JadeEmperor or are sent to Earth to fulfill their new duties. Spirits who perform exceptional

deeds can also be deified. Many of the City Gods are former mortals who were

rewarded for their virtue.

The above options assume that the departed received a proper burial. Those who

were not buried at all return to Earth as ghosts and haunt the mortal world. Those who were

buried improperly return to their dead bodies and animate them, becoming hopping vampires.

It is proper to make sacrifices to deceased relatives. Most families have a shrine where

they offer food and wine to their dead. Spirits of the dead expect such veneration and may

become angry if it is not forthcoming. Many of the “hungry dead” are ancestor spirits who

have been ignored by their descendents.

The Vassals of HeavenThe heavenly pantheon is far from static. While the Jade Emperor and Gods of the Elements

have been in Heaven since time immemorial, they are frequently joined by humans whose

earthly deeds warrant deification. Usually a member of the Jade Emperor’s court will notice a

worthy candidate and act as an advocate for the po soul of the deceased. If the advocate is

persuasive enough, the Lord of Heaven grants the worthy one immortality and godhood by

reuniting the po soul with its hun counterpart. Some of these new gods stay in Heaven to serve

the Jade Emperor’s court, while others return to Earth to become City Gods or the like. With

few exceptions, most of the gods of Tianguo were once human. Some of more popular gods are

described here.

The Three Legendary EmperorsThese three culture heroes, who defined so much of Tianguo’s society, were deified immedi-

ately upon death. They are primarily worshiped in their aspects of the Builder, the Sower, and

the Flood Controller. Zu is usually depicted with a scroll of laws, and his symbol is the wood-

cutter’s ax. Shao is depicted holding a stalk of wheat, and his symbol is the farmer’s hoe. Xian,

last of the Legendary Emperors, is usually surrounded by nine dragons (for the Nine Provinces

of the empire), and his symbol is the arrow that tragically took his life.

Diao Zu’enThis famous soldier, who helped defeat the strange barbarians from over the sea and then con-

vinced the Dragon Kings to protect Tianguo with the bao feng, is worshipped as the God of

Loyalty. He never wavered in the face of adversity, and sacrificed all for Tianguo. He is a popu-

103Chapter 6



lar god among the imperial soldiery. His symbol is a shield made of tortoise shell.

Ying Weihan Ying was a general of Zhuo during the Seven Kingdoms period. He is celebrated for the TenBattles, in which he saved Zhuo from destruction by defeating ten different armies in four

years. He is worshiped as the God of War, and his tactics in the Ten Battles are studied to this

day. He is usually depicted riding a chariot pulled by dragons, and his symbol is the halberd.

Chu Zhongtai This man was a low-ranking official in the court of Emperor Shangwei. When some plotters

tried to bribe their way into the palace, Chu Zhongtai [CHOO ZHUNG-DIE] repeatedly

refused their advances. Shortly after reporting the matter, he was murdered by the plotters. He

is worshipped as the Honest Official and has a place of honor in the Jade Emperor’s court. His

symbol is a pair of open hands, colored white.

Fan Xianli Born into a impoverished noble family, Fan Xianli [FAN SHYEN-LEE] stayed at home as allher brothers went to war against the Yi and were killed. When finally her father was called up

to serve, she cut her hair and went in his place. Her great heroism helped defeat the Yi, and

she covered her family’s name with glory. She is now worshiped as the Filial Daughter. Many

female martial artists also honor her as a Goddess of War. Her symbol is a simple soldier’s

sword.

Niu Dahan A merchant during the Seven Kingdoms era, Niu Dahan [NYOH DAH-TSEUN] made a for-

tune running caravans throughout Tianguo during that dangerous time. He was always ready

with a scheme or a scam and managed to avoid both bandits and treasure-hungry generals.

According to one story, he escaped capture by riding away on the back of a tiger, and is often

depicted riding one in statues. He is worshipped as the God of Wealth, and his symbol is a set

of scales.

Li BaibinThe second son of Emperor Chaoshi was cursed by a powerful demon. Li Baibin, a famous

wizard, was called in to remove the curse. Unable to do so, she crafted a spell to take her to

Hell, where she defeated the demon with exploding pearls and forced him to remove the curse.

Li Baibin is worshipped as the Goddess of Magic and is often invoked for aid against demons.

Her symbol is a pearl ringed with fire.

Qishi In the early days of the Jade Brotherhood, the monks had yet to develop their formidable mar-

tial arts. A gang of bandits attacked Qishi’s monastery, looking for treasure. Many of the

monks were slain by the well-armed bandits, but Qishi [CHEE-TSEU] picked up a spade andkilled all the enemies with his mighty blows. He is worshipped as the Protector of Temples,

and his symbol is the monk’s spade.

Nonplayer Characters

NPC KitsNonplayer characters (NPCs) are everyone else in the game world of Tianguo, with whom the

PCs interact—and, frequently, fight. Just like PCs, these characters can also have kits that rep-

resent specialized roles. While most average foes don’t require much beyond a character class,

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kits help detail recurring or especially powerful enemies. This section details two kits, the

eunuch sorcerer and the Imperial Guard soldier. As the PCs fight against the emperor’s corrup-

tion, they’re likely to encounter these two types of villains repeatedly. As the DM, you may

want to design other NPCs specifically for your campaign. These kits, as well as those for thePCs, are good guidelines.

Eunuch Sorcerer Description: While there have been eunuchs in imperial service for many centuries, they

have risen to prominence only in the last twenty years. Previously emasculation was a punish-

ment, and eunuchs were relegated to menial duty in the palace. Emperor Jianmin, however,

saw an opportunity to create a power bloc in the capital loyal only to him. He began to use the

eunuchs to spy for him and put them in charge of running the palace. He later convinced

some of the Dragon’s Breath to teach a small number of eunuchs the secrets of magic. It was

thus that the eunuch sorcerers were born.

When the emperor ate the tainted lotus and turned to evil, the eunuchs continued to sup-

port him against all detractors. In return Jianmin gave them more and more power. Ten years

ago he appointed the four most powerful eunuch sorcerers as his lieutenants. Now they rule asthe Lords of the North Wing, South Wing, East Wing, and West Wing. They and their minions

are the pillars of Jianmin’s reign.

Organization: The Lords of the Four Wings control the eunuchs and, in effect, the

empire. Each is responsible for administrating a quarter of the empire, and provincial gover-

nors report directly to them. They in turn answer to the emperor himself.

Within the eunuchs, sorcerers are the elite. The leadership all come from their ranks;

lesser eunuchs act as spies, couriers, and informants.

Requirements: Apart from the obvious, a eunuch sorcerer must have an Intelligence of

at least 12.

Benefits: Eunuch sorcerers are both feared and respected. They have nearly unlimited

power in the capital, where they can requisition anything they need. Their power isn’t so great

outside Zuyang, but provincial officers are careful to treat them with respect. Most members of

the imperial bureaucracy obey the commands of a eunuch sorcerer without question.

Although they learned magic from the Dragon’s Breath, the sorcerers have not pursued

the path of harmony. Instead, they have chosen to codify magic into a rigid structure. This

allows them to cast certain spells with increased effect, but denies the bonus spells available

to Dragon’s Breath members.

At each level, a eunuch sorcerer can chose one preferred spell that has been practiced to

perfection. This mastery means that when casting a preferred spell, the sorcerer gets +1 to

each damage die (if applicable) and –1 to the target’s saving throw.

Due to their rigorous training, eunuch sorcerers are immune to all forms of charm

and beguilement.

Hindrances: Eunuch sorcerers must of course be eunuchs. While this is often inflicted

as a punishment, many have begun volunteering for the procedure because of the power the

eunuchs hold.Eunuch sorcerers must answer to the emperor. It is their loyalty that keeps them in power

and safe from the emperor’s whims. Those who act out of line are dealt with quickly and never

heard from again.

Equipment: Eunuch sorcerers wear the finest of robes and generally have as much

money as they need. Other than the spellbook, equipment varies highly from one individual to

the next.

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Imperial Guard Description: The Imperial Guard of Tianguo has a long and glorious

history. They were founded during the reign of Xian, last of the Three

Legendary Emperors. While the previous emperors had used personaltroops, these usually were members of the emperor’s clan and acted

more as bodyguards than anything else. It was Xian who founded the

Imperial Guard as the emperor’s own army. He opened the Guard to

any who could prove their courage and skill at arms, and he com-

manded it personally. The Imperial Guard struck terror into the Yi and

was instrumental in freeing the empire of the troublesome horse bar-

barians. Their only shame was in Emperor Xian’s untimely death and

their inability to prevent the empire from breaking apart as the gener-

als squabbled.

The Imperial Guard broke apart, along with the rest of the empire,

during the era of Seven Kingdoms. Like Xian, each of the kings had a

personal army, but none matched the glory of the original. When

Shanwei reunited Tianguo, one of his first acts was to reconstitute theImperial Guard. Harkening to the past in this as in most things, Shangwei once again made the

Imperial Guard a force to be reckoned with. This proud tradition carries on to the current day.

Sadly, the glory of the Imperial Guard seems to be coming to an end. As a unit the Guard

has always prided itself on loyalty, and its members have remained loyal to Emperor Jianmin.

If the eunuchs are the emperor’s eyes, then the Imperial Guard are his fists. He has used them

in strikes against the Jade Brotherhood, the Ghost Eaters, and countless others. And each time

the Guard takes part in an unjust attack or slaughter of the innocent, they lose a little more of

their honor. It is no surprise that desertions are on the rise and the ranks are increasingly filled

out with power-hungry ruffians. Soon, all the Imperial Guard will have left is loyalty to the

emperor and the memories of glory past.

Organization: The Imperial Guard form the emperor’s personal army, and he commands

them directly. Under him are seven generals who each control a division (four of infantry, two

of cavalry, and one of chariots). Each division has four captains, assisted by lieutenants. The

lower ranks are filled out by troopers and sergeants. The chain of command is of utmost

importance, and those who flout it are quickly demoted or executed.

Requirements: Members must have a minimum Strength of 11. This kit is open only

to fighters.

Benefits: Imperial Guard soldiers more or less have the run of the empire. As the

emperor’s personal force, they can get away with nearly anything. The emperor lets them have

their fun, as long as they follow his orders and obey the chain of command. While higher-

ranking members of the regular army can technically order lower-ranking Guard soldiers

about, this rarely happens in practice. No one wants to offend the emperor’s pet troops.

Even with the desertions of veterans and the influx of new blood, the Imperial Guard are

still a military force to be reckoned with. Members are trained vigorously and are especially

adept at fighting in units. Imperial Guard soldiers fighting in formation get a +1 bonus to hitand damage to represent this training and discipline.

Additionally, the Guard are trained to be effective in single combat. At 1st level, each sol-

dier must specialize in either the double-edged sword or the halberd. Those who reach 5th

level can specialize in a second weapon of their choice. They also learn a special form of mar-

tial arts taught only in the Guard. At 1st level, to increase movement in times of need, they

learn Speed of the Leopard. At 2nd level they add Iron Palm, to help in unarmed combat, and

Claw of the Crab, to help in making arrests. At 3rd level they learn the Wuxia ability, as well as

Pounce of the Tiger. They can use their special maneuvers even while wearing armor.

Hindrances: Imperial Guard soldiers are part of a military organization: They must follow

orders and do as the emperor instructs. This is often distasteful, but oaths of loyalty must be

adhered to.

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Members of the Guard practice a slightly different kind of martial arts than do the secret

societies. On the upside, they can use martial arts maneuvers while wearing armor. However,

they can never learn any of the Stance maneuvers, which require far too much space for a unit

in formation. They must rely on armor for protection, but increasingly, this is not sufficient.Equipment: Each Imperial Guard soldier receives a standard kit of equipment: full iron lamel-

lar armor with shield (AC 16), double-edged sword, and halberd. (Cavalry use lances instead

of halberds.) A quarter of the units are equipped with bows, as is one member of each chariot

crew (these normally have a crew of three).

The VillainsOnce your players have played Dragon Fist for awhile, they’ll probably want to get at the root

of the evil that plagues Tianguo: Emperor Jianmin. Below you’ll find statistics for the emperor,

as well as one of his eunuch lieutenants. These villains are both quite powerful, so only PCs

approaching Master status should go up against them.

Emperor JianminThe Son of Heaven

AC: 25

To Hit: +4

Hit Points: 100

Martial Arts Maneuvers: Breath Stealing, Claw of the Crab, Five Elements Fist, Grace of the

Crane, Mantis Strike, Might of the Tiger, Nerve Strike, One Hundred Eyes, Plum Blossom Fist,

Rain of Heaven, Ride the Wind, Scorpion’s Sting, Speed of the Leopard, Spring of the Tiger,

Step of the Crane, Torrent of Chi, Way of the Crab (missile), Wind in the Reeds, Whirlwind

Strike, Wuxia.

No. of Attacks: 3

Martial Arts Damage: 1d20/1d20/1d20

Stunts: Might 1d10, Acrobatics 1d8, Fortitude 1d10, Savvy 1d8, Insight 1d3, Charm 1d8

Special Items:

• Tainted lotus: This cursed item keeps the emperor young—as long as he consumes

souls. Due to its magic, Jianmin regenerates 5 hit points at the start of every round, has

a saving throw of 5 in all categories, and has 25% magic resistance. It has also

enhanced his martial arts ability to superhuman levels (reflected in his high AC and

martial arts damage).

• Robes of the Dragon: These are the hereditary robes of the emperors of Tianguo.

According to legend, they were made for the first emperor by the Lord of Heaven him-

self. They allow the wearer to use the 5th-level wizard spell fire breath three times a day

as if cast by a 10th-level wizard.

Jianmin was not always an evil man. After the excesses of his father’s reign, the first seventy

years of Jianmin’s rule seemed, if anything, enlightened. The empire was rebuilt, trade flour-ished, and two generations knew what it was to live in a time of peace and prosperity.

Jianmin’s only fault was in fearing death, but none could foresee the consequences of his

quest for immortality. That tale has been told already in this book, but exactly why the

emperor turned evil remains a mystery to most.

The “peasant” who offered the lotus to Jianmin was in fact the demon lord Musheng. The

lotus was both a source of incredible power and a terrible curse. Certainly it restored the

emperor’s youth, but Jianmin soon discovered that to retain his youth he had to kill his sub-

jects and absorb their souls. At first one victim was enough to satisfy him, but as time went by

his hunger increased. Now he must kill dozens daily to retain his dark gift.

What the emperor doesn’t understand, however, is the effect of the lotus in Hell.

Normally the hun soul ascends to Heaven, and the po soul descends to Hell. But the potent

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magic of the lotus, centuries in the making, causes the emperor to absorb the po souls of his

victims, while the hun souls descend to Musheng. It was the heavenly power of the stolen hun

souls that allowed Musheng to usurp the throne of Hell, and it is the accumulated evil of thou-

sands of po souls that has made the emperor into a malevolent tyrant.Musheng knows that it is Jianmin who keeps him in power, so the emperor is protected by

scores of demons. With an evil ruler on the throne and a usurper ruling Hell, it is only a matter of

time before the Jade Emperor restores the natural order—or so Jianmin fears. The way of Heaven is

not so easily understood, however, and Jianmin may find defeat where he least expects it.

Combat Notes: The emperor is an incredibly tough opponent. Only a group of martial

arts masters, backed up with magic and the blessings of the Jade Emperor, could hope to

defeat him. The PCs should fight Jianmin himself only at the very climax of the campaign, and

even then it is likely that some will die in the battle. When this showdown does occur, pull out

all the stops and use the emperor’s considerable abilities to the utmost. If there’s one combat

your players remember above all the others in the campaign, this should be the one.

Kuang TaojunLord of the East Wing

10th level eunuch sorcerer

AC: 21

To Hit: +0

HP: 50

Martial Arts Maneuvers: Cobra Stance, Ride the Wind, Crane Stance, Dance of the Golden

Lotus, Flying Dragon Fist, Iron Palm, Mantis Stance, Poison the Spirit, Spring of the Tiger, Step of

the Crane, Ultimate Stance, Way of the Crab (slashing), Way of the Dragon (missile), Wuxia.

No. of Attacks: 1

Martial Arts Damage: 1d8

Stunts: Might 1d3, Acrobatics 1d6, Fortitude 1d4, Savvy 1d10, Insight 1d3, Charm 1d6

Spells per Day: 4/4/3/2/2

Spellbook: Kuang Taojun has access to nearly any spell he might need. Before using him as

an opponent, determine his purpose (such as spying or fighting) and give him whatever spells

seem appropriate (bearing in mind the limits imposed by his level).

Kuang Taojun [KWONG DOW-JEUN] is perhaps the emperor’s most feared lieutenant. One of

the first of the eunuch sorcerers, Kuang has used his power to rise high in the emperor’s

graces. He is Lord of the East Wing of the imperial palace and ruler of a quarter of the empire

itself. He controls a network of sorcerers, spies, and assassins and makes sure that the ene-

mies of Jianmin conveniently disappear.

There is no one left alive who knows how Kuang Taojun came to be a eunuch. Kuang

himself made sure of this, of course. A consummate schemer, he has a stranglehold on the

imperial court, and his spies make sure he knows everything worth knowing. Rumors have it

that he and the Lord of the North Wing are at odds, but if there is conflict between them it is

so subtle as to be almost unnoticeable. And these days, a few more deaths in the capital arehardly likely to be noticed.

Kuang Taojun has made it his personal mission to destroy the Dragon’s Breath. Since he was

trained by those wizards, he knows their power all too well. He covets their stores of magical

knowledge and is using all his resources to locate the new headquarters of the secret society. So far

he has been unsuccessful, but his eunuchs are a dagger at the throat of the Dragon’s Breath.

Combat Notes: Kuang Taojun prefers to kill his opponents with spells. Unlike some wiz-

ards in Tianguo, he doesn’t like using martial arts. He’d rather lurk behind his minions and

destroy his enemies with earthbolts. He is usually accompanied by a bodyguard of six 2nd-

level fighters (who are also eunuchs).

Kuang is a typical example of the Lords of the Wings. If you want to introduce any of the

others into your campaign, you can base them on him.

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MonstersDespite the emperor, the army, and countless wizards and shamans, the land of Tianguo has

never been able to rid itself of monsters. Although civilization has risen to great heights, there’salways a hopping vampire around the corner or a weretiger in the jungle. The following section

details are many of the most common monsters of Tianguo. These are ready-made foes for

your characters that can be dropped into nearly any adventure.

Monster StatisticsLike player characters, monsters also have abilities, although they are presented in a slightly

different form. Many of these entries are identical to those for PCs, such as alignment, Armor

Class, and Move. The remaining entries are explained here.

• Climate/Terrain: The area or type of landscape the monster is most likely to be

encountered in.

• Organization: The basic structure of the creature’s society, whether it be solitary, pack,tribal, or an entire civilization.

• Intelligence: This is the same as the player character ability score. The ratings run

from 0 (nonintelligent) through 21+ (godlike intelligence).

• No. Appearing: The average number of these creatures encountered at one time. This

is meant as a guideline; should be careful not to overwhelm your players with a horde

of monsters. When designing an encounter, try to include enough monsters to make it

challenging, but not so many that the PCs have no chance.

• Hit Dice: This controls the number of hit points of damage a creature can take before

being killed. Unless otherwise stated, monster Hit Dice are 1d8 (1–8 hit points). Roll

the creature’s Hit Dice and total the results to determine its hit point total. Some crea-

tures have a “+” and a numeral following the number of Hit Dice; this indicates that the

listed number is to be added to the total rolled on the dice. For example, a weretiger has

6+2 Hit Dice, so its hit points are determined by rolling 6d8 and adding 2 to the result.

• To Hit: This represents the creature’s natural ability to fight. Most creatures will have a

base score to hit between 0 and +5, which is added to the result of a twenty-sided die

roll. Unarmed attacks have a speed of Av (4) unless otherwise noted. Attacks with

weapons use the speed of that weapon.

• No. of Attacks: How often the creature gets to strike in a given round, excluding spe-

cial attacks.

• Damage/Attack: The amount of damage a given successful attack causes.

• Special Attacks/Defenses: Unusual or magical attack or defense forms.

• Magic Resistance: Some creatures have the ability to shrug off the effects of magic.

Whenever a creature with magic resistance is the direct target of a spell (even beneficial

spells such as cures), the DM rolls percentile dice. If the roll is equal to or less than the

creature’s magic resistance, the spell has no effect. Note that a creature receives anyapplicable saving throws in addition to its magic resistance.

• Size: The relative size of a creature. This information is most useful in determining

weapon damage. Tiny (T), Small (S), and Medium (M) creatures take the damage from

the S–M category, while Large (L), Huge (H), and Gargantuan (G) creatures take the

damage from the L category. For example, a spear would do 1d6 points of damage to a

Yi barbarian (a Medium-sized being), but 1d8 to a hoard dragon, a Gargantuan beast.

• Stunts: Monsters also have stunts, though they usually are only good at a few types.

These are abbreviated with the first letter of the stunt type, followed by the die type. For

example, “M 1d6” means a Might stunt, rolling a six-sided die, while “I 1d4” is an

Insight stunt rolled on a four-sider.

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Ghost Climate/Terrain: Any

Organization: Solitary

Intelligence: Average (8–10) Alignment: Lawful evil

No. Appearing: 1

Armor Class: 18

Move: 140, fly 140

Hit Dice: 8

To Hit: +4

No. of Attacks: 2

Damage/Attack: 1–10/1–10

Special Attacks: See below

Special Defenses: See below

Magic Resistance: 15%

Size: M (5–6 feet tall)Stunts: M 1d3, A 1d3, S 1d3, I

1d4, C 1d8

Most commonly, ghosts are the po souls of

those buried improperly who return to Earth.

Some want vengeance on those who botched

their burial, while others simply want to be

set free. Unfortunately, without the balancing

effect of the hun soul, many ghosts degener-

ate into evil monsters who exist only to cause

pain and suffering.

Ghosts usually appear only at night.

However, they are not insubstantial. They

look like a normal person and can be

touched, fought with, or even kissed. Their

ghostly nature gives them great strength,

though, and their blows are fearsome. They

are also resistant to many magical effects.

They can fly at their normal rate at will and

have the Wuxia martial arts ability (based on

hit dice instead of level).

Once per turn a ghost can use the delu-

sion spell. Once a day it can use the charm

person spell. Even without spells, ghosts are

excellent manipulators and use their highCharm stunt to good effect. The ghosts of

young and beautiful women can are espe-

cially good at charming mortals.

Those ghosts who have embraced the

darkness of their po soul can separate their

heads from their bodies. The bodies fight on

as normal, while the heads fly around inciting

terror (a Charm feat) or biting opponents for

1d6 points of damage.

Hoard DragonClimate/Terrain: Any mountains


Intelligence: Exceptional (15–16) Alignment: Chaotic neutral

No. Appearing: 1

Armor Class: 25

Move: 180

Hit Dice: 15

To Hit: +5

No. of Attacks: 4

Damage/Attack: 1–8/1–8/1–10/3–18




Size: G (50+ ft. long)Stunts: M 1d10, A 1d6, F 1d8,

S 1d8, I 1d4, C 1d6

Most dragons are benevolent and serve the

Jade Emperor in some capacity. Hoard drag-

ons are the exception. These greedy creatures

used to guard the Jade Emperor’s treasure in

Heaven. Over time, however, they came to

believe the treasure was rightly theirs and

failed to give face to the Lord of Heaven. This

was a grave mistake indeed: The Jade

Emperor banished the dragons to Earth.

Since they loved treasure so, hoard dragons

were consigned to live in the mountains and

protect the treasures of humanity until they

were needed. Each and every hoard dragon is

fated to die defending its treasure—it is only

a question of when. This is the Lord of

Heaven’s curse.

Hoard dragons are long and serpentine

and come in a variety of colors. They have

many legs and can move very quickly. In

combat they attack with their two front claws

(1d8 points of damage apiece), a tail lash

(1d10 damage), and a fearsome bite (3d6damage). They also have a full range of

stunts and use them with ruthless efficiency.

Hoard dragons can take human form at

will, but they rarely do so. While other drag-

ons often travel amid humanity, hoard drag-

ons stay close to home. They must, after all,

guard their treasure.

110 Chapter 6

PossessionAll spirits (including ghosts) and

demons have the power to pos-sess mortals. Those of good align-ment usually only possess willing

victims, while those of evil align-

ment do whatever suits them.Often possession is the only way

for a demon to get to Earth.

Possession is an Insight feat,with a TN equal to the Wisdom

score of the victim or 15,

whichever is higher. Once in con-

trol of a mortal body, the possess-ing entity can use it as desired.

However, it has no access to the

memories of the host (so it couldnot cast spells known the victim,

for instance). Possession lasts a

number days equal to the result of the stunt die; the possessing

entity can attempt another Insight

feat to retain control. While theyare free to leave the body at any

time, possessing spirits and

demons usually must be cast out

by shamans.



Hopping VampireClimate/Terrain: Any land


Intelligence: Low (5–7) Alignment: Chaotic evil

No. Appearing: 1–4

Armor Class: 16

Move: 90

Hit Dice: 6–9

To Hit: +2

No. of Attacks: 2





Size: M (5–6 ft. tall)Stunts: M 1d8, F 1d6, C 1d6

Hopping vampires are the most fearsome

undead in Tianguo. When a body is buried

improperly or in an inauspicious location, the

po soul returns to the body and animates it;

however, the hun soul has already moved on

to Heaven. The po soul, already suffering

after death, reverts to animalistic behavior

and hungers to kill mortals. Without the

heavenly spark of the hun soul, the body is

not truly alive, so it retains the rigidity of

death. The result is a hopping vampire. This

spectacle of these creatures hopping around

looking for victims is vaguely ridiculous; they

are deadly opponents, however, and not to be

underestimated.

The return from death gives the hopping

vampires a greenish tint to their skin, fangs in

their mouths, and razor-sharp fingernails that

are virtual claws. They are usually dressed in

the decaying remnants of funerary wear. In

combat they use both claws and bite, each

inflicting 1d8 of damage.

Hopping vampires are very difficult tokill. They take only half damage from

weapons and martial arts, unless the attacks

count as magical (such as blows from a magic

weapon or martial arts attacks dealt by a

high-level Righteous Fist). Fire-based attacks

also inflict normal damage.

Experienced vampire hunters know that

hopping vampires can locate humans only by

“seeing” their breath. By holding their breath

and covering their nostrils, the hunters are

virtually invisible. This trick is easy to get

wrong, however, and many adventurers have

been killed when they thought they were safe.

A character who wants to hide from the vam-

pire must make a Fortitude feat with a TN of 10. If successful, the character can hold his

or her breath for a number of rounds equal to

the result of the stunt die (minimum 1

round). Once the feat is performed, the char-

acter can take actions as normal on subse-

quent rounds.

Anyone who suffers more than 15 points

of damage from a hopping vampire runs the

risk of becoming a vampire in turn. Exactly

how this occurs is a mystery, but most

shamans agree it is a form of curse. After

combat is over, the injured character must

roll percentile dice. The chance of turninginto a vampire is equal to the amount of

damage he or she sustained (so if the

vampire inflicted 20 points of dam-

age, the chance would be 20%).

Those who succumb to the

curse slowly turn into vampires

themselves, growing fangs and

long fingernails and becoming

more bestial as their po soul

takes over. This process takes 1

day, plus an additional number

of days equal to a Fortitude

stunt roll. To stop the transfor-

mation, a shaman must cast the

remove curse spell on the vic-

tim before the process is com-

plete. Once become a vampire,

the victim cannot be changed

back without the intercession of

a major spirit or god.

Astute readers will notice

that hopping vampires have a

respectable stunt die in Charm.

This does not mean a vampire is

eloquent or seductive. Rather,this score represents the vam-

pire’s ability to terrorize hapless

humans with displays of super-

natural power. Hopping vam-

pires can make Charm feats,

but only to induce fear and ter-

ror. You’ll never see one using a

Charm feat to induce pathos in

the PCs for its pitiful existence. In

Dragon Fist, vampires are mon-

sters, pure and simple.

111 Chapter 6



Local Spirit Climate/Terrain: Any


Intelligence: Exceptional (15–16) Alignment: Neutral

No. Appearing: 1

Armor Class: 16

Move: 150, fly 300

Hit Dice: 5

To Hit: +2

No. of Attacks: 2

Damage/Attack: 1–10




Size: M (4–7 ft. tall)Stunts: M 1d3, A 1d6, S 1d4, I

1d6, C 1d8

Local spirits are usually expressions of Nature

that are tied to one locale. Ponds, trees, and

hills all have spirits associated with them.

These spirits have an excellent knowledge of

their own territory but an extremely limited

awareness of the rest of the world. They can,

however, be very helpful when specific infor-

mation is needed. They are also bound to do

the Jade Emperor’s will and sometimes perform

errands for the gods. For some, this relation-

ship is formalized, especially those who serve

the City Gods. Most spirits take the form of

beautiful humans when dealing with mortals.

Spirits are magical creatures and so can

be hit only by +1 or better magic weapons.

Also, as long as they are in their home envi-

ronment, they can regenerate 5 hit points

reach round. They can also fly as fast they

can run. As well, spirits can cast spells.

Generally speaking, they are able to use any

shaman spell of level 1 to 3 at will.

Local spirits can be very generous to thosemortals who earn their favor—and equally

vengeful to those who incur their wrath. In gen-

eral, spirits are not foes of the PCs but rather a

respected part of the natural order. PCs should

be far more interested in getting information or

aid from a spirit than fighting it.

Major spirits are similar but far more

powerful, associated with mighty rivers and

mountains. Stats for them are not provided

here, since they should never be used as foes.

If you need to determine what they can and

cannot do, let the story guide your decision.

Neeg BarbarianClimate/Terrain: Tropical jungle and

mountains

Organization: Tribal

Intelligence: Very (11–12)

Alignment: Varies


Armor Class: 12

Move: 120

Hit Dice: 1

To Hit: +2

No. of Attacks: 1

Damage/Attack: By weapon type

Special Attacks: AmbushSpecial Defenses: Hide in natural

surroundings

Magic Resistance: None

Size: M (5–6 ft. tall)

Stunts: M 1d3–1, A 1d4

The Neeg barbarians live north of Tianguo, in

the tropical lands around the Tibneeg

Mountains. They inhabit both the mountains

and the jungles, and have a tribal society.

Noted for their battle paint and crude weapons,

they are largely despised by the civilized people

of Tianguo. Despite several attempts to conquer

and assimilate the Neeg, though, they remain a

fiercely independent people.

In battle the Neeg tend to use spears

and axes. The better weapons come from

Tianguo, either through trade or as spoils

from battle. Neeg war parties often launch

raids into the province of Jing. They are most

adept at fighting on their home terrain, how-

ever. When in their homeland, each Neeg

can hide in the surroundings; treat this as a

Hide in Shadows roll at 85% (halved in for-

eign territory). They are especially adept atfighting from ambush and gain an additional

+2 to hit when attacking a surprised foe.

Neeg Chieftains and Shamans: The

leaders of Neeg society are the tribal chiefs

and the shamans. These characters tend to be

between 3rd and 7th level, and can be gener-

ated using the normal character creation rules.

The shamans—and the Neeg in general—

focus their worship on spirits of Nature, espe-

cially those of the Tibneeg Mountains, whom

they consider to be ancestors.

112 Chapter 6



One-eyed DemonClimate/Terrain: Any

Organization: Brood

Intelligence: Average (8–10) Alignment: Neutral evil


Armor Class: 15

Move: 120

Hit Dice: 3

To Hit: +3

No. of Attacks: 1


Special Attacks: Gore

Special Defenses: None


Size: M (4–7 ft. tall)Stunts: M 1d4, F 1d4, I 1d3

The one-eyed demon is an example of a low

ranking minion of Hell. This type of demon is

often summoned or sent to Earth to plague

humanity. It is unclear whether these demons

are native to Hell or the transformed souls of

those sent there. They appear as normal

humans, but their heads are giant and mis-

shapen, bearing one eye and one horn.

In combat one-eyed demons use their

long fingernails. They can also charge and

use their horn for a gore attack. This attack

automatically goes last in the round but does

2d6 damage if successful.

Ox-headed DemonClimate/Terrain: Any


Intelligence: Exceptional (15–16)

Alignment: Lawful evil

No. Appearing: 1

Armor Class: 20

Move: 180Hit Dice: 8

To Hit: +4

No. of Attacks: 2


Special Attacks: Charge



Size: L (10 ft. tall)

Stunts: M 1d8, A 1d3, F 1d8,

S 1d3, I 1d4, C 1d4

The ox-headed demon is a major servant of

the masters of Hell. It is sent to Earth on spe-

cial missions and usually has a brood of lesser

demons to serve it. Shamans disagree as to whether the ox-headed demon is an individual

or simply a type of more powerful demon.

None, however, doubt its prowess.

The ox-headed demon is a huge mass

of muscle covered with filthy hair. As its

name indicates, he has an enormous bovine

head, complete with a big brass ring

through its nose (said to remind it that it too

has a master). The pelt of the ox-headed

demon is full of small parasites, which can

be shaken free and commanded to find

any item or person. They unerringly locate

the quarry, if it is within 2 miles of thedemon’s location, and return within the hour.

The ox-headed demon’s weapon of

choice is an enormous trident that inflicts

1d12 damage against any opponent. It can

also choose to charge with horns lowered.

This attack can target two adjacent oppo-

nents, one with each horn, and inflicts 3d6

damage on each target.

In addition to its listed magic resistance,

the ox-headed demon takes only half damage

from fire-based spells.

SkeletonClimate/Terrain: Any

Organization: Band

Intelligence: Non- (0)

Alignment: Neutral


Armor Class: 13

Move: 120

Hit Dice: 1

To Hit: +1

No. of Attacks: 1

Damage/Attack: 1–6 (weapon)Special Attacks: None




Stunts: None

Skeletons are magically animated undead

monsters, usually the work of evil shamans

with no respect for the dead. Their bones

magically hang together, and they follow the

commands of their creator.

113Chapter 6



Skeletons usually fight with weapons,

often those they were buried with. Since

they are basically mindless, they do not fight

very well and inflict only 1d6 points of dam-age per hit, regardless of what weapon they

are fighting with.

Due to their undead state, skeletons are

immune to all spells that affect the mind

(including charm person and delusion). They

are also immune to poison and cold-based

attacks, and take only half damage from

edged or piercing weapons (like swords,

arrows, and spears). Blunt weapons inflict

damage as normal, as does fire.

Spider DemonClimate/Terrain: AnyOrganization: Solitary

Intelligence: High (13–14)

Alignment: Chaotic evil


Armor Class: 18

Move: 150

Hit Dice: 6

To Hit: +2

No. of Attacks: 2


Special Attacks: Poison, web



Size: H (14 ft. diameter)

Stunts: M 1d6, A 1d3, F 1d6,

S 1d4, I 1d6, C 1d4

Spider demons are said to be the po souls of

adulterers. They are sometimes summoned to

Earth, where they wreak havoc in mortal

affairs. They can change into human form at

will, and often take on the appearance of

young and beautiful women. However, their

true form is a monstrous hybrid of womanand spider: The torso of a woman melds with

the body of a spider into a horrific whole.

Although the face of a spider demon retains

some beauty, the prominent fangs are hide to

disguise. Spider demons delight on causing

trouble and often take human form to do so.

In combat, the demons use their gigantic

spider legs. Opponents who get too close also

get a taste of their fangs, which do 1d6 points

of damage and inject a virulent poison. Those

bitten must make a saving throw vs. poison

or take 3d10 additional points of damage.

Additionally, spider demons can shoot webs

from their mouths. This is handled as a mis-

sile attack with a range of 40 feet. Anyone hitis entangled and can break free only with a

Might feat (TN 18). Entangled characters can

do nothing except try to break free while the

demon yanks the helpless victim into its wait-

ing embrace.

Wang LiangClimate/Terrain: Temperate forests

Organization: Solitary or tribe

Intelligence: Exceptional (15–16)

Alignment: Neutral evil

No. Appearing: 1–10 Armor Class: 16

Move: 120

Hit Dice: 5

To Hit: +3

No. of Attacks: 2


Special Attacks: None



Size: L (10 ft. tall)

Stunts: M 1d8, A 1d3–1, F

1d6, S 1d4

Wang Liang [WONG LYUNG] are forest-

dwelling ogres who strike terror into peasants

and soldiers. They are usually over 10 feet tall

and covered with brown fur. Both hands and

feet are clawed and can be used to make mar-

tial arts attacks (damage 1d10). They some-

times use oversized weapons in combat

instead, and these do the damage listed for

that weapon type, +3 for their large size.

Wang Liang are found in such places as

the Forest of Clouds and the deeper reaches

of the An Ying Forest. Luckily for their humanneighbors, the ogres seem to fight among

themselves frequently. This keeps their num-

bers relatively small. When they get hungry,

however, they organize raiding parties and

attack human settlements.

Some Wang Liang know the secret of

invisibility. Perhaps one in a hundred has a

magical hat that confers invisibility on its

wearer. This lasts until the wearer makes an

attack or the hat is taken off. Mysteriously,

these hats don’t seem to work for humans.

114 Chapter 6



Weretiger Climate/Terrain: Any wilderness


Intelligence: Average (8–10) Alignment: Neutral evil


Armor Class: 17

Move: 120

Hit Dice: 6+2

To Hit: +3

No. of Attacks: 3

Damage/Attack: 1–6/1–6/1–12


Special Defenses: +1 or better weapon

to hit

Magic Resistance: NoneSize: M or L (6–9 ft. tall)

Stunts: M 1d6/1d8, A 1d4, F

1d4

Weretigers are said to be those cursed by

Nature spirits for their destructive behavior.

According to an old saying, “Those who act

as animals will become animals.” Weretigers

can be found in any wilderness setting, but

they most favor the jungles and mountains of

the north. Many in Tianguo associate them

with the Neeg barbarians and believe that all

Neeg are weretigers.

Weretigers have three forms. In their

human form, they look entirely normal. They

can speak and use weapons and pass for

average humans, but cannot retain this form

for longer than a day at a time. Their second

form is a hybrid of human and tiger, the

weretiger proper. The final form is that of the

tiger itself, with no trace of humanity.

In human form, weretigers use weapons

as normal. In hybrid and full tiger form, a

weretiger gets two claw attacks and one bite

as detailed above. In full tiger form, the weretiger’s Might stunt die increases to 1d8 to

simulate its increased size.

Weretigers are vicious predators. They

will hunt and eat nearly anything but prefer

humans above all others. Those killed and

eaten by a weretiger return to Earth as

ghosts who must haunt the area of their

death until they lure a new victim into the

weretiger’s jaws. Only then will their souls go

to Hell for judgment.

The curse of the weretiger cannot be

reversed under normal circumstances. Only

with the aid of a major spirit or god could a

shaman hope to restore the weretiger to

humanity.

Yi BarbarianClimate/Terrain: Southern steppes

Organization: Clan

Intelligence: Very (11–12)

Alignment: Varies


Armor Class: 4

Move: 240 mounted/

120 afoot

Hit Dice: 1

To Hit: +2

No. of Attacks: 1

Damage/Attack: By weapon type

Special Attacks: Mounted combat




Stunts: M 1d3, A 1d3

The Yi barbarians live on the great southern

steppes beyond the Horse’s Tail River. They

are the bogeymen of southern Tianguo, and

many tales are told of their cruelty and bar-barism. In fact, though, the Yi are no more or

less likely to act evilly than anyone else. They

do have an antagonistic history with the

empire, and raids across the Horse’s Tail are

common. However, they simply have a differ-

ent culture, one that is not as outwardly “civi-

lized” as that of their neighbors. For this

reason conflict between Tianguo and the Yi

remains likely.

Unlike the people of Tianguo, the Yi bar-

barians have a nomadic lifestyle. Their clans

115 Chapter 6



travel throughout the steppes, finding good

grazing land and changing location with the

seasons. They are excellent riders and raid

one another as frequently as they doTianguo. When they have invaded Tianguo in

the past, it has been under a strong war

leader. These alliances have inevitably fallen

apart once the charismatic leader died.

In combat the Yi tend to wear full hide

armor. They make great use of the horse bow,

as well as the spear and the single-edged

sword. Such is their skill at mounted warfare

that they receive a +1 bonus to hit and to

damage while fighting on horseback.

Khans: Yi clan leaders are known as

khans. They are usually fighters of level 5 to 7

and have skills and attributes comparable toPC fighters. They usually specialize in either

the horse bow or the single-edged sword.

Lesser Yi war leaders tend to be fighters of

2nd to 4th level.

Shamans: The Yi have their own

shamans, although their religion is slightly dif-

ferent from that of Tianguo. They worship the

sky as a deity and look more to spirits for guid-

ance and aid. Yi shamans can be any level

and use the normal character-creation rules.

ZombieClimate/Terrain: Any

Organization: Band

Intelligence: Non-(0) Alignment: Neutral


Armor Class: 12

Move: 60

Hit Dice: 2

To Hit: +1

No. of Attacks: 1



Special Defenses: Spell immunity,

immune to poison

Magic Resistance: NoneSize: M (5–6 ft. tall)

Stunts: M 1d3

Zombies are mindless, animated corpses

serving the evil shamans that create them.

They are similar to skeletons but retain flesh

on their bones. The condition of the corpse is

not changed by the animating spell. If the

body was missing a limb, the zombie created

from it is missing the same limb. Since it is

difficult to get fresh bodies (mourning rituals

often stretching into weeks even after burial),

most zombies are in sorry shape, with

decomposing flesh literally falling off their

bones. This makes their movement slow and

jerky. Their rotting stench is detectable up to

100 feet away, depending on the condition of

the body. Zombies cannot talk, being mind-

less, but do often moan horribly. They are

usually dressed in the clothes they were

buried in—what remains of them.

Zombies move very slowly and always

strike last in combat. They keep fighting until

called off or destroyed, and nothing short of a

White Lotus shaman can turn them back.They are immune to poison, all magic that

affects the mind, and cold-based spells.

116 Chapter 6



117 Chapter 6

Dragon Fist part 6

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